Where In The Bible Will I Find:

Miracles And Signs Confirming The Word?

God, through the ages, has used miracles and signs to confirm His Word. He informed Moses that mighty miracles would be performed, "That they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers..." (Exod. 4:5). Jesus promised His disciples that His Word would be confirmed by miracles and signs, "And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen" (Mark 16:20). God's message is powerful, preaching and miracles went hand in hand.

Jesus had previously mentioned some five signs. These included casting out demons, speaking in new tongues (languages), taking up serpents, drinking deadly substances, and healing the sick. Every single one of these miraculous signs confirmed the Word of God when it was preached. In the traveling and preaching of the gospel by the apostles we find every one of these signs being used by them in confirming the Word of God. No sick person was ever healed simply because they were sick. No miracle was ever used by an apostle to cure himself or of those within their party.

Paul could have removed the thorn in his flesh or could have healed Trophimus whom he left a Miletum sick (II Cor. 12:7; II Tim, 4:20), but this was not the purpose for miracles and signs. All the healing done by Jesus was to show the unbelieving Jews that, "...the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins..." (Matt, 9:6). Jesus tells us that His "works" bore witness of Him (John 5:36). These "works" included the healing of a blind man (John 9:3-4), and He loved Lazarus dearly, but this is not why He raised him from the ­dead.

Instead, be raised him so that the people would believe that the Father had sent Him (John 11:42). The way in which the Word would be preached was through signs and wonders. The inspired preaching always contained the miraculous because the miraculous confirmed God's Word. During the first century the New Testament had not been written, therefore it was necessary that the Word of God be confirmed by miraculous signs and wonders. Once confirmed it is forever confirmed and signs and wonders are no longer needed.

Jesus was declared to be the Son of God by His resurrection (Rom. 1:4). His resurrection confirmed this foundational truth; He does not have to be raised again and again in each and every generation to confirm His Sonship to God. One time in the first century forever confirms it. In the same way, miracles and signs performed in the first century forever confirm God's Holy Word to man. God's Word has been fully revealed (II Tim. 3:16; Jude 3). The miraculous gifts performed in the first century have fully served their purpose, they have fully revealed God's Word and they have fully confirmed His Word. Most assuredly, then, God has terminated the use of miracles and signs, as they are no longer needed.